Auto insurance in Ontario
Regulated by the Ontario government, car insurance is standard in the industry. But insurance companies offer more beyond the basic auto insurance coverage required by Ontario law. They offer insurance options designed to enhance your automobile and accident coverage. You can customize your car insurance policy to ensure you've got the specific protection you need.

Ontario auto insurance law
The law in Ontario requires that you insure your automobile for at least $200,000 Third Party Liability coverage. This is to cover injuries to any other person, or their property, when you're the at-fault driver in a car accident. If you are involved in a serious auto accident though, $200,000 will not go very far to cover damages. It's common to have $1 million or more of liability coverage. Remember - you're responsible for any shortfall in coverage.

Ontario law also requires you carry Accidents Benefits coverage as part of your car insurance policy. Accident Benefits coverage provides for you and your family if you are injured or killed in an auto accident. Accident Benefits also may provide: payments to non-earners who are not able to carry on a normal life; payment of care expenses to persons who can no longer act as a primary caregiver for a member of their household; payment of medical, rehabilitation and attendant care expenses; payment of funeral expenses and payments to survivors of a person who is killed.

In Ontario, Direct Compensation- Property Damage coverage is also required to be included as part of your car insurance policy. This insurance provides coverage for damage to your car and any property inside the car, because of an automobile accident where you are not-at-fault.

Another required insurance coverage is called Uninsured Motorist. This portion of your automobile insurance policy provides coverage for you if you are in an accident with an at-fault, uninsured driver who is identified at the scene of the accident.

When you buy an auto insurance policy, you'll receive a Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance Card - your "pink card". This is proof that you have the required car insurance coverage. Your auto insurance is valid anywhere in Canada and the United States. It's a good idea to carry your "pink card" with you at all times. You must produce it if a police officer requests it. You'll also need to produce your "pink card" for the Ministry of Transportation. You'll need to do this when you first register your auto, and each year when you renew your license plate sticker.

Ontario's no-fault insurance - what is it?
Ontario has a "no-fault" car insurance system. But this doesn't mean that no one is at-fault in an accident. "No-fault" insurance means if you are injured or your car is damaged in an accident, then you deal with your own insurance company, regardless of who is at-fault. You don't have to go after the at-fault driver for compensation.

Similarly, if passengers in your car are injured, then each passenger who has a car insurance policy of their own will approach their own insurance company for benefits. If your passengers don't have a car insurance policy of their own, then your insurance company may pay benefits to them. The driver of the other car involved in the accident will claim benefits from his or her own insurance company.

Someone is always "at-fault" in a car accident, whether partly or fully. The law requires insurance companies to assign the percentage of fault for each of the drivers involved in the accident. This is done by using the "Fault Determination Rules". These rules, set out in a regulation under the Insurance Act, help insurance companies deal with accident claims quickly and economically. The Fault Determination Rules differ from any charges laid by the police under the Highway Traffic Act.

*42.90% of Kanetix customers in Ontario who participated in the survey said Kanetix helped them identify an average savings amount of $641.01 (October 1 - November 30, 2011) on their car insurance. The cited amount represents the average difference between the best quote obtained at www.kanetix.ca and the current premium amount of participants in the survey. The savings amount varies by individual and does not constitute a guarantee; in each individual case, the difference may be smaller or greater than the savings amount cited.

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